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Astrology has ways of helping us understand our feral sides — and “falls” fall into this category.
When a planet is in its fall, this means it’s in a sign where it’s a little depressed or the odds seem to be stacked against it. Like it’s trying to run a race with its shoelaces tied together.
If you have one or more “fallen” planets in your chart, you may have to apply more sweat, grit, and tears to get the job done — at least when working with the themes of those planets. (We’ll explain what those themes are in a minute.) It’s not the easiest task, as coping with frustration and pushing through setbacks takes practice. But honing these habits unlocks the hard-won lessons and rewards that also come with having planets in fall. Let the redemption arc begin.
Read on to learn where each planet is in fall and how these placements show up in our lives.
A cheat sheet: the planets and their fall signs
- The Sun is in fall in Libra
- The Moon is in fall in Scorpio
- Mercury is in fall in Pisces
- Venus is in fall in Virgo
- Mars is in fall in Cancer
- Jupiter is in fall in Capricorn
- Saturn is in fall in Aries
How to find out if you have planets in fall in your birth chart
Great question. Pull up your birth chart in the CHANI app or with our online chart tool and check if you have any planets in the sign placements listed above. If so, those planets are in their fall. Once you’ve located these placements in your chart, reflect on how you might struggle or innovate in these areas of your life.
Now, let’s unpack what that means…
The pitfalls and potential of having planets in fall
The Sun in Libra
The Sun is all about me, myself, and I, and Libra is focused on you and me and what you think about us. So when the Sun is in Libra, there’s some tension. If you’re a Libra Sun, it’s important to remember that it’s healthy to have personal goals and okay to derive inspiration from yourself. When we drift too far from our identity to please others, we stifle our main character energy. But in the process of dancing between “me” and “you,” Libra Suns can learn a lot about relationships, acceptance, and boundary work, which can make them incredible counselors, mediators, and negotiators. We’re all interconnected, and Libra Suns are especially familiar with both the blessings and the burdens of this truth.
The Moon in Scorpio
The Moon is inherently changeable and emotional, so it benefits from some stability or softness. But when it’s in Scorpio, even the little things can be taken to extremes. Able to pick up on subtle power plays and intuitive hunches, Scorpio Moons can sense a soap opera brewing in the dentist's office waiting room. Cue envy, suspicion, and accusations of betrayal. On the flip side, while many of us have been conditioned to suppress intense feelings, Scorpio Moons know better. In this placement, Luna is willing to explore and expose its shadows, which can yield impressive psychological insights, heightened empathy, and greater courage to confront the parts of life that sting.
Mercury in Pisces
Mercury likes to analyze, dissect, and research. But when in Pisces, it can quickly lose the plot. While the planet of communication thrives on fact-checking and clarifying, the boundless sign prefers to think heart-first and zoom out for the big picture (like, the really big picture). Truth with a capital T is less important than the fantasy or sob story of the day, and the trustworthiness of a person, news source, or business scheme tends to be based on moods and intuitions rather than rock-solid logic. That said, Mercury can weave great compassion into its decision-making process, imagine vivid experiences beyond its own, and tap into profound pools of creativity in this sign — if it can find the right structure to contain all its ideas, that is. Genre-bending performance art, anyone?
Venus in Virgo
When Venus is in Virgo, it can be more aware of the thorns of a rose than the petals. The planet of love, connection, and pleasure likes to take it easy and bask in sweet experiences. When in this vigilant earth sign, however, it may show up with a lengthy list of dos and don’ts for having a good time. In this placement, Venus can easily get hung up on typos, clashing patterns, and sudden bouts of hypochondria. But this exquisite attention to detail is also an asset. Like a magnifying glass that reveals tiny flaws in a gemstone, Venus in Virgo can pinpoint exactly what’s malfunctioning and how to fix it. If there’s a romantic partnership that would benefit from a therapist’s support or a party that could use a subtle lighting adjustment, Venus in Virgo is ready to address the elephant in the room and get to work.
Mars in Cancer
Mars is typically raring to go, and Cancer is more inclined to scuttle to safety under the covers. The planet of action, assertion, and vitality thrives with a clear outlet and direction for its energy, but this crustacean sign’s infamous moodiness and passive aggression can muddy those waters. This combo can result in stop-start momentum and keep us hanging back when we’d rather race forward. Yet the sign of the crab is a brilliant nurturer too. In this placement, Mars can concoct nourishing recipes for self-care, self-soothing, and self-advocacy. Because of this, Mars can tap into surprisingly deep wells of resilience and determination in Cancer, and it may have more support to recover from setbacks and burnout in this sign. When it comes to protecting one’s family, chosen kin, ancestry, or lineage, Mars in Cancer is also not to be trifled with.
Jupiter in Capricorn
While Jupiter prefers to go big or go home, Capricorn bristles at anything that seems overindulgent, frivolous, or unrealistic. But the cardinal earth sign can provide valuable reality checks for this bighearted planet’s grandiose ideas. In this placement, the planet of luck, wisdom, and generosity doesn’t like to bet all its chips without a reason, which means it’s more likely to keep whatever good fortune it lands on. If it can work on leaning in to its sense of faith and optimism, Jupiter in Capricorn can create truly lasting abundance.
Saturn in Aries
The planet of discipline, structure, and hard work wants to lay sturdy foundations, but Aries likes to torch its blueprints with a flamethrower as soon as a new idea lights up. In this placement, Saturn can struggle to achieve its serious goals, yet it can also devise effective strategies for dealing with its unruly instincts and bouts of impatience. Saturn in Aries can be especially skilled at sleeping on a gut reaction, counting to 10, and deliberating before making a move. This sign also understands the vital role of aggressive impulses in the creative process, and it knows how to overhaul 10-year plans that no longer inspire and make room for something even stronger. With practice, Saturn in Aries can learn to play the long game without burning too many bridges along the way.
Want more?
If you’re ready to learn more about your birth chart and how to work with it, check out our other Astro 101 articles.
